Hi Sally FWIW - you probably have two RN signal stations at Portsmouth, and a repeater at Portsdown and regular points inland, at about this period - with two shortly to disappear or having already done so ie the one that had linked Portsmouth with the Admiralty in London since the Napoleonic Wars - replaced by that new electric thingy - known around that period as the magnetic telegraph, amongst many other things ;-) - and the main signal station (mso) in the dockyard - now near South Railway Jetty - that passed messages out to ships lying at Spithead and at the Motherbank - the anchorage and quarantine ground in the lee of the Isle of Wight - though the mso would have probably used flags around this period - I don't think cones and the mechanical semaphore as seen on ships etc. at the turn of the 19th/20th Centuries, came into until much later - but to be honest, I wouldn't have thought they would require the constant attention of a blacksmith - maybe occasionally, but not as a full time occupation - although he might have been "on call" in the event of breakdowns in the Portsmouth to Admiralty system - which would have had quite a high priority ? On the other hand I can offer no other logical answer. Regret my answer ignores any signal stations that may have been used by the army at its various locations in the area. Regards Paul On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 14:39:33 +0100, "Sally Harnett" <sally.harnett@homecall.co.uk> wrote: >Hello, > Could anyone offer opinions on this description of trade-- "single >stationer" ? > >I have Nicholas COURTNELL on certificates and census as: 1843 blacksmith; >1844 smith; 1851 single stationer; 1861 superannuated smith. >Blacksmith, Smith and Superannuated Smith are self explanatory, but I am >puzzled by the other. My thoughts vere towards Signal Station-- especially >since seeing the telegraph system outside the Museum in Portsmouth whilst >visiting for the IFOS--(wonderful!). Would this system have been in use at >that late date, and would it have needed maintenance by a smith? Or am I >going down the wrong line? If he was superannuated I feel he would have been >employed by the Dockyard as were many others in the family. > Best wishes, Sally Harnett >-- >No virus found in this outgoing message. >Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.8.11 - Release Date: 08/07/2005 > > >==== ENG-HAM-PORTSMOUTH-GOSPORT Mailing List ==== >Are they called brickwalls because there is always MORTAR find? > >============================== >Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. >Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx 50.33.50N 02.26.70W http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval.html